Permutating device for use in coding machines



March 19, 1929.

w. KORN PERMUTATING DEVICE FOR USE IN CODING MACHINES Filed May 21, 31926 J22 verzta M Kori? Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES i f WILLI KORN, BERLIN-FRIEDENAU, GERMANY.

PERMUTATING DEVICE FOR USE IN- CODING MAGHIINES.

Application filed Ma 21, 1926, SerialNo.

Electrical coding machines are known in which an electric current is sent from a transmitting point through a plurality of coding members, such for example as changing or. permutating members, sliders or cylinders, and produces at an indicating :point, such forexample as glow-lamps. the keys of a t \'pcwriting machine or the like, a code letter, which corresponds to the position of the coding members relative to one another and to the associated end members. If for example as such coding" members rotatable cylinders'are employed, a plurality thereof are rotatably arranged one behind another on a shaft and equipped with driving means such for example as toothed wheels or ratchet wheels, which,

being driven by other toothed wheels or ratchet wheels, produce a rotation of the cylinders relative to one another at each driving impulse. The cylinders are equipped on both sides with contact points, the number of which may be equal for example to the number of letters in the alphabet. The contact points of a one side are connected with the contact points.

of the other side in an irregular manner by intermediate conductors. At both ends of such a set of rotatable cylinders are arranged stationary end cylinders, one of which serves for the entrance of the electric current and the other for its exit. When decoding, the direction of travel of. the electric current through the rotatable cylinders and the end cylinders is reversed.

The disadvantage of such coding machines consists in the fact that such a coding ma chine consequently possesses quite definite compulsory paths for the electric current and anyone who had a knowledge of the arrangement of the connections in the machine would have a certain possibility, by the aid of existing coded messages and of a machine in which the connections were similarly arranged, of deciphering the code. Such a coding machine moreover is always a comparatively bulky piece of apparatus, which for the purpose of maintaining secrecy must of course be kept under lock and key and requires a great deal of space.

These disadvantages are removed by the present invention in that the most important part of an electrical coding machine. namely the v permutating device, 1s releasable from the coding machine, and is so arranged as to be exchangeable and interchangeable in its individual members.

110,810, and in Germany March 10, 1926.

At the same time provision is made for a partlcularly advantageous guiding of the electric current through the coding device.

Theinvention is illustrated by way of example inv the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation partially in seetlon of a cylinder coding device for an eleczrlcal coding machine in the operative posi- 1on i 1 Flg. 2 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, I

Fig. 3 is a side elevation'of the device at.

the moment of removal of the coding cylin= der from the device,

a position of the parts which permits of the removal of the coding cylinders,

- Fig. 5 is a partial elevation and partial section of a detail on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 6, is a section on the line VI-VI in Fig. 5.

In electrical coding machines such as have previously been mentioned there are 'provided a'number of coding cylinders 1, 2, 3, which are rotatably supported upon a shaft. The coding cvlinder 1 has contacts 1, 1", the number of which .for example may be equal Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the device in to the number of letters in the alphabet, on

both sides, and these contacts are connected with one another in an irregular manner amongst themselves, as diagrammatically indicated by the lines 4. The coding cylinders 2 and 3 have similar intermediate connections,

, with a different arrangement thereof in each case. 5 denotes a ratchet wheel for driving the coding cylinder 2, and 6 a notched wheel for fixing theposition of the coding cylinder I 2 for the time being. The coding cylinders .1 and 3 are likewise equipped with similarly constructed driving ratchet wheels and notched wheels. 7 denotes the entrance cylinder for the electric current, and 8 is an exit cylinder for the electric current, and is in the present case of special construction, which will be further described hereinafter. The end cylinders 7 and 8 are stationary, that is to say, are non-rotata'bly arranged on the base plate of the coding machine, bein for example rigidly connected with end p ates 9' and 10 which are secured to the base plate by means of suitable feet 9, 10,or otherwise. i.

their driving andfixing members, are so arran ed asto be releasable from the coding macliine. This may-be efiected for example by making the shaft that carries thes'e members withdrawable towardsione side, so that cylinder.

the above-mentioned partsycan be lifted out between the stationary end cylinders.

In a particularly advantageous construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings the following arrangeme t is made.

The coding cylinders 1, 2 .:;d 3 are slid on to a short shaff 11 which h s a collar 12 at one end. For the supporting of this shaft, in the end plates 9 and 10, short pins 13 and 14 are secured, having cup-shaped end portions 17 and 18 respectively with holes 15 and 16, whereby the removal of the shaft 11 is facilitated, as will hereinafter be more fully described. In order to make it possible to lift the coding cylinders 1, 2 and 3 out, one end cylinder 8 is arranged not fixedly, but

'slidably on the pin 14. For this purpose it isequipped ;with..asleeve or bushing 19 and secured to a plate 20, which determines its position. I This plate has a notch 21 by which its position is determined and it is guided during its longitudinal movement on a pin 22. On the plate 20 moreover are secured wedgeshaped or cam-shaped pieces 23 which serv for displacing the end cylinder 8.

In order to simplify shifting of the end cylinder 8 as much as'possible, and further in order to avoid interference in the shifting operation by cables connected to the end cyl- 'inder for, the numerousv circuits of the individual contacts (for instance 26 such cir; cuits) the end cylinder is not constructed for theassage of the electric current in the axia direction, but as a current-returning The electrical connections are effected according to ,the lines 24, so that the electric. current entering at 25 leaves the system of cylinders at 26. In this manner it is possible to keep the end cylinder 8 com:

pletely free from any, connecting cable that would hinder its movenmpt. I

For the displacement o theend cylinders 8 a levr 2 having a handle 28 is rotatably I supported upon the pin 14, and is provided withpressure pins 29 or the like which are \adapted to actupon the wedge-shaped or cam-shaped pieces 23. If the device is located inthe working position, as shown in i land 2, the pressure-pins 29 bearupon the highest points of the cam pieces 23, and the sleeve 19 by its pressure upon the collar 12 of-the shaft 11 holds them and the coding cylinders in the correct position. A suitable recess 30 bored at the innerend of the bush-' ing 19 at the same time centres the shaft 11.

- At the other-end of the shaft 11 the flange 31 of a bushing 32 surrounding the pin 13 forms the abutment for-theset of'coding cylinders.

Inorder to keep the coding cylinders in the correct position for the time being, that is to say, in such a position that the individual contacts of the individual cylinders touch one, another correctly, auxiliary members are provided, which will be described hereinafter, on the parts'of the coding. cylinder 2.

A spring actuated lever 33-carries a roller 34 which is adapted during the rotation of the coding cylinders to enter the notches of the notched wheel 6. Now in order to bring this lever out ofcontact with the notched wheels for the purpose of enabling the set of coding cylinders to be lifted out and to set theentire system free for such removal, the following provision is made:

A lever-35 with a roller 36 which is constantly pressed inwards'by a spring 37, remains in permanent contact by'means of this roller with the edge 38 of the lever 27. A lever 39 is arranged at the' other end of the set of coding cylindersand the two-levers The set of rotatable coding eylinders. with 'the end cylinders and the other parts just described is arranged (in a casing which is indicated at 42 and which has a hinged or removable lid 43. As will be seen in Fig. 2 this lid is so arranged that in the working position of the device it just covers the handle 28, butcannot be brought into its correct position if the lever 27 with its handle 28 is in any other position. Compare Fig. 4. i

The method of workingof the apparatus is as follows:

For the removal .it is only'necessary to rock the lever 37 by means of the handle28 intoa position such as that shown in Fig. 4. By the travelling of the pressure pins 29 upon the wedge-shaped ieces 23, the. end cylinder 8 is thereby set fine for a longitudinal displacement upon the pin 14 and the levers 33 with the notch-engaging'rollers 34 are lifted out of the notched wheels and pressed back. The end cylinder 8 can now easily be pushed back-with the fing r, and the set, of coding cylinders 1, 2, 3 is free, with the shaft 11, in the cup-shaped members 17 and 18 of the pins 13 and 14, to be lifted out. Compare Fig. 3.

In this-manner it is possible for example to exchange the coding cylinder 1 with the coding cylinder 2 or with the coding cylinder 3 in a position upon the shaft 11, whereby the possibility is given of altering the key to the coding device. At the same time however itis also possible now, insteadof one or of all of the coding cylinders 1, 2, 3, to insert other coding cylinders with other arrangements of the intermediate connections. By employing a plurality of sets of cylinders differing from one another for an electrical coding machine it is possible to.makethe coding mamachines in which a large number of such coding elements are connected with one another'in series and which would then be comparatively bulky and expensive in consequence of the complicated driving means Aj furthervery important advantage consists in the fact that in the device according to the invention it is possible to take the set of cylinders, which only needs a small amount of space, under lock and key by itself and to leave the rest of the machine open, since nothing can be made ofthe latter by itself; For war purposes moreover the further advantage is given that in the case of a surprise attack by the enemy for example it is only necessary to take out quickly the set of cylinders or even only one cylinder, in which case the coding machine would become useless for decoding. After the removal of the set of cylinders, the cylinders are preferably withdrawn from the shaft and only the cylinders themselves taken away, the shaft 11 being put back into the device and stored with it.

For the putting in of the set of permutating cylinders it is only necessary to move the lever 27 into the position shown in Fig. 2, and by the arrangement of the cover 43 provision is made that thisoperation shall not be forgotten, because otherwise the cover strikes against the handle 28 and cannot be brought into the correct position. v I What I claim is c r K 1. A permutating device for use in coding machines including a plurality of relatively movable contact-carrying permutating' cylin ders adapted to conduct electric current for the purpose of sign substitution in an irregular manner through the coding device, said permutating cylinders being releasably and reinovably arranged in the coding device.

2. A permutating device foruse in coding machines including a plurality of relatively movable contact-carrying permutatihg cylinders adapted to conduct electric current for the purpose of sign substitution in an irregu lar manner throughthe coding device, a shaft as carrier for said Del-mutating cylinders, stationary pins for supporting said shaft with the n ermu tating cylinders, and means for holding the shaft in the Working position of the coding device. 3. A permutating device for use infcoding machines including a plurality of relatively movable contact-carrying permutating cylinders adapted to conduct electric current for the purpose of sign substitution in an irregular manner through the permutating device, a shaft as carrler for said coding cylinders, stationary pins havingcup-shaped the purpose of sign substitution in an. irregular manner through the per-mutating device, a shaft as carrier for said coding cylinders, stationary pins having cup-shaped ends open at the top for supporting said shaft with the per-mutating cylinders, an end cylinder displareably supported upon one of said Sta-- tionary pins and centering the shaftin the working position of the coding device, said end cylinder being constructed as a current returning cylinder for conducting the electric current back through the permutating cylinders. i e

5. A permntating device for use in coding machines including a plurality of relatively movable contact-carrying permutating cylinders adapted to conduct electriccurrent for the purpose of sign substitutionin an irreguing cylinders from thedevice.

6. A permutating device for use in coding machines including a plurality of relatively moving contact-carrying per-mutating cylinders adapted to conduct electric current for the purpose of sign substitution in an irregular manner through the permutating device, notched wheels on-sa-id coding cylin ders, catch levers engaging in the notches of said notched wheels and holding the permutating cylinders in the contact zpositions, means for supporting the shaft with the permutating cylinders, an end cylinder slidably supported in relation to the other permutatingcylinders, a lever rotatably supported near the end cylinder, means for displacing the end cylinder during the rocking of the lever, a cam surface on the lever, adapted to act upon means for lifting off the notched wheels;

7. Apermutating device for use in coding machines including a plurality of relatively moving contact-carrying permutating cylinders adapted to conduct electric current for the purpose of sign substitution in an irregular manner through the coding device,

ders, catch levers engaging in the notches of the notched wheels and holding the permutating cylinders in the contact positions, means for supporting the shaft with the permutating cylinders, an endcylinder slidably supported, in relation to the other permutating cylinders, and carrying cam members on the side opposite to t he'permutating cylinders, a leverrotatably' supported near the end cylinder, pressure pins on the lever, adapted to. displace the end cylinder by running up on to the cam members during the rocking of the lever, a cam surface on the lever, and a lever system with a rod extending over the lengt-h'of the permutating cylinders, influenced by the cam surface on said lever and adapted by means of said rod to lift the catch levers out of the notches in the notched wheels when the lever is rocked.

8. A permutating device for use in coding .machines including a plurality of relatively moving contact-carrying permutating cylinders adapted to conduct electric current for the purpose of sign'substitution in an irregular manner through the coding device, notched wheels on said permutating cylinders,catch levers engaging. in the notches of the notched wheels and holding the permu tating cylinders in the contact positions,

means for supporting the shaft avith the permutating cylinders, an end cylinder slidably supported in relation to' the'other permutating cylinders, a lever rotatably supported near the end cylinder, means for displacing the end cylinder during the rocking of the lever, a curved surface on the lever adapted to act upon means for lifting ofi the notched Wheels, a' casing around the device, a lid to the casing, and a handle on said lever {fireventing the closing of the lid in the roe ed position of the lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLI KOEN. 

